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Operation Sterling from the Metropolitan Police Service is reissuing its warning regarding “Courier Scams” - a fraud that is mainly targeting the elderly and vulnerable in our communities. These scams are becoming increasingly prevalent across London and beyond.

Method

Elderly members of the public have been receiving unsolicited telephone calls from fraudsters purporting to be from the police or their bank.

A fraudster will ring a member of the public, claiming to be from their bank (or in some cases claiming to be the police), stating that their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on their card or that their card is due to expire and needs to be replaced.

The person may be asked to ring the bank back using the phone number printed on the back of their bank card. This helps to convince the person that the call is genuine.

However, the fraudster has kept the telephone line open so even though the person has called the bank, the call does not go through. Instead they are unknowingly connected straight back to the fraudster.

The fraudster then gains the person’s trust by pretending to be from the bank and seeming to offer assistance. In many cases the person is asked to provide their full bank card details and key in their PIN so that their existing card can be “cancelled” and their new one "activated" or "authorised." The fraudster will then explain that the bank will need to collect the card.

The fraudster will then attend the person’s address or send an innocent courier company driver to collect the card and sometimes provide them with a “replacement” card which is subsequently found to be fake.

Therefore, the fraudster has obtained the person’s name, address, full bank details, the card itself and the PIN. The bank cards are then used fraudulently without the victim’s knowledge.

Variations

Fraudsters pretending to be from the police cold calling members of the public claiming to be from the Economic Crime Department and that the person’s bank account has been compromised by criminals. The fraudster suggests that the person should transfer their bank balance into a “safe” police account.

Fraudsters pretending to be from the police attending people’s addresses and retrieving the person’s card and PIN.

Members of the public receiving letters on bank headed paper informing them that their account has been the subject of a fraud. The letter advises them to transfer their funds to a “safe” account and that an official will be in contact to provide them with a new card and PIN.

Fraudsters contacting members of the public requesting them to cut their cards in half because their account has been compromised. They are then asked to post the cut card to an address where fraudsters simply tape the card together again and can use the details to commit fraud.

Prevention Advice If you receive such a call end it immediately.

Please be aware of the following:

Your bank will never attend your home

Your bank and the police will never collect your bank card

Your bank and the police will never ask for your PIN

Reporting Advice

In an emergency dial 999.

In a non-emergency, report to Action Fraud, see related links or contact your local police by dialling 101 and report the matter to your bank.